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One thing that never fails to amuse is when elites find themselves in a self-inflicted mess. It’s even more entertaining when it involves political elites who are known for their uber-smugness. And if you’re thinking about top-tier smug political elites, the New York Times inevitably comes to mind, with columnist David Brooks leading the pack, and boy, did David step in it this time, folks.

During a recent trip, David found himself at a New Jersey airport restaurant. While there, he ordered a cheeseburger and fries and was apparently shocked that the bill was a whopping $78. David took a picture of his meal and posted it on X, claiming that these high restaurant prices are why many Americans think Biden’s economy sucks. Now, that could have been bad enough on its own, right? A totally clueless, out-of-touch elite griping about his overpriced cheeseburger… but that wasn’t the end of it.

After David posted the image and complained about the cost, the restaurant responded. “1911 Smoke House Barbeque” took to Facebook, where they advised the entire world that David Brooks’ bar tab was almost 80% of the bill.

Ouch.

Fox News:

A restaurant fired back at New York Times columnist David Brooks after he complained Wednesday on social media about the cost of his meal, saying, “This is why Americans think the economy is terrible.”

“This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport. This is why Americans think the economy is terrible,” Brooks wrote with a picture of his dinner, which consisted of a cheeseburger, fries and what appears to be an alcoholic beverage.

However, the restaurant 1911 Smoke House Barbeque pushed back on Brooks’ post on Facebook Thursday.

“Looks like someone was knocking back some serious drinks – Bar tab was almost 80% and he’s complaining about the cost of his meal,” it wrote. “Keep drinking buddy – we get paid off everything.”

Yes, indeed, you can see a cocktail in David’s “cheeseburger” photo. As it turns out, the inflated bill was more due to the fancy double-barreled whiskey than the burger.

The backlash was so severe that David was finally forced apologize.

Politico:

New York Times columnist David Brooks acknowledged he had “screwed up” after his social media post complaining about the price of a meal at Newark Airport went viral this week.

“An upper middle class journalist having a bourbon at an airport is a lot different than a family living paycheck to paycheck. And when I’m getting sticker shock, it’s like an inconvenience. When they’re getting sticker shock, it’s a disaster,” Brooks said in a Friday interview with PBS’ William Brangham.

Brooks’ post on X — formerly known as Twitter — which read, “This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport. This is why Americans think the economy is terrible,” was accompanied by a picture of the meal that included a burger, fries and an alcoholic beverage.

The post garnered over 37 million views and generated a flurry of criticism and memes, with many users mocking him for being out of touch and noting that Brooks’ drink was a likely driver of his high tab.

The restaurant responded in a Facebook post, noting that Brooks’ bar tab accounted for almost 80 percent of his bill.

“I was insensitive. I screwed up. I should not have written that tweet. I probably should not write any tweets,” Brooks said.

But, of course, in the end, the steepest price David might pay will be the toll on his liver if he doesn’t pace himself.

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